Ordinary 18A, August 10th, 2014

Given the Gospel reading of Peter’s walking on water we skipped the usual lectionary suggestion for the Psalm and went with Psalm 69 instead…

‘I have come into deep waters, it washes over me’ – Psalm 69

We sung Issac Everett’s version and at his suggestion reflected upon Damien Rice’s ‘Cold Water’ during our time of open space response…

“Cold Water” – Damien Rice

Cold, cold water surrounds me now
And all I’ve got is your hand
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Or am I lost?

Love one’s daughter
Allow me that
And I can’t let go of your hand
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Or am I lost?
[chanting] Cold, cold water surrounds me now
And all I’ve got is your hand
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Or am I lost?

Jacques Richard Sassandra (1932- ), ‘Christ Walking on the Water.’ Woodcut after Jacopo Tintoretto’s ‘Christ at the Sea of Galilee’.

We noted the comparisons of the watery chaos of violence in the broader context of the gospel story, with the disciples and Jesus responding to the beheading of John the Baptist, the journey between territories, Christ coming to us as the ghost/the ‘other’/ vision of that we most fear and the words…  “Do not be afraid, Take heart, It is I/ I AM!”

Our Eucharist Brunch was interspersed with prayers from the daily newspapers in which we prayed for the political and human rights situation in Iraq/Syria making connections between the violent watery chaos of this gospel story and that of Jonah.  We noted the IS destruction of the Mosque at the prophet Jonah’s grave in Mosul (ancient Ninevah) over the last week which led us to Matt Valler’s amazing contemporary remix of the Jonah story in light of such events.

Like Peter, we asked ‘What does it mean to step out in faith, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the non-violent one in the midst of the watery chaos of violence that surrounds us?’

We broke bread and wine and discovered Gemma Macri cooks a mean Ratatouille!

– Marcus